Disability Policy Update


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Annie Acosta <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 7:51 AM
Subject: The Capitol Insider for the Week of February 28, 2011
To: Kendall Corbett <[log in to unmask]>


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 *February 23, 2011*
Vol 16, Issue 7


*
*
*Action Alerts*

Do You Want "Congregate Care"? Then now is the time to counter calls for
institutions and other segregated
settings<http://capwiz.com/thearc/utr/1/IBTXOWWTDD/DFFWOXOMWN/6548753856>

*

**Major Recent Events **
*
*Health Care Reform - Another federal judge finds the ACA constitutional*

U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia Gladys Kessler determined
that the individual insurance
requirement<http://capwiz.com/thearc/utr/1/IBTXOWWTDD/EPHSOXOMWO/6548753856>does
not infringe on a person’s religious beliefs - a claim made by the
plaintiffs of the lawsuit. This is the third federal judge to rule the
Affordable Care Act (ACA) constitutional. Two others in Florida and Virginia
have ruled it unconstitutional. The matter is expected to be ultimately
decided by the Supreme Court.

*FY 2011 Appropriations - House unveils two week spending bill, government
shutdown on March 4 appears less likely*

The House Appropriations Committee released a short term Continuing
Resolution (CR) to keep the government operating until a compromise can be
reached on bill for the remained of FY 2011. The CR includes $4 billion in
spending reductions, the majority of which were already targeted for
elimination by the Obama Administration, including earmarks. The CR allows
most agencies to continue at the current level of spending with the
exception of some programs that were cut or eliminated. Fortunately, major
disability programs are not targeted for reduction in the CR. All FY 2011
appropriations, including the short term CR, still need to be negotiated
with the Senate. For information on specific program cuts and eliminations,
see:
http://appropriations.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=266<http://capwiz.com/thearc/utr/1/IBTXOWWTDD/BGMXOXOMWP/6548753856>


*Health Care Reform /Medicaid – CMS issues proposed rules on the Community
First Choice Option *

On Friday, Feb. 25, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the *Federal
Register*regarding the Community First Choice (CFC) Option. The CFC
Option is a new
Medicaid provision, added by the Affordable Care Act, to allow states to
provide a comprehensive community-based service to people who would
otherwise need a nursing home or institutional level of care. The CFC Option
will provide states with an additional 6 percent federal matching rate in
reimbursement for services provided to eligible people under the option. The
DPC will be analyzing the proposed regulations for the CFC Option over the
next several weeks and provide that analysis and suggested comments to
chapters and affiliates prior to the due date for comments. Public comments
must be received by CMS no later than 5:00 pm on April 26. View the NPRM at:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-02-25/pdf/2011-3946.pdf<http://capwiz.com/thearc/utr/1/IBTXOWWTDD/IPHYOXOMWQ/6548753856>

*Health Care Reform/ Medicaid – CMS issues State Medicaid Director Letter on
Maintenance of Effort Provisions
*
CMS released a letter providing guidance on “the maintenance of effort”
(MOE) provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010.  Some states have
been seeking ways to avoid the ACA’s MOE – the requirement to maintain their
current Medicaid eligibility criteria and services until 2014. The letter and
the enclosed Q&As address the ACA’s MOE provisions for Medicaid and the
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) generally. It also answers
specific questions related to the non-application of the MOE provisions for
certain adult populations in States with a budget deficit, section 1115
waivers and demonstration projects, and the treatment of premiums.  Click
here <http://capwiz.com/thearc/utr/1/IBTXOWWTDD/CYVTOXOMWR/6548753856> for
the press release. See the letter at:
http://nasuad.org/documentation/newsroom/friday_updates/MOE%20Letter%20for%20Display.pdf<http://capwiz.com/thearc/utr/1/IBTXOWWTDD/AAJIOXOMWS/6548753856>


*Health Care/Medicaid – Grants to increase healthy behaviors announced by
HHS*

On February 24, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
announced the availability of $100 million in grants for state incentive
programs that encourage Medicaid enrollees to adopt healthy behaviors.   An
application by a state for a grant under the *Medicaid Incentives for
Prevention of Chronic Diseases (MIPCD) program* must address at least one of
the following prevention goals: (1) tobacco cessation, (2) controlling or
reducing weight, (3) lowering cholesterol, (4) lowering blood pressure, and
(5) avoiding the onset of diabetes or improving the management of the
condition. Further information, see:
http://www.cms.gov/MIPCD/<http://capwiz.com/thearc/utr/1/IBTXOWWTDD/ARLVOXOMWT/6548753856>



*Major Events Ahead*
*
**Health Care Reform/Medicaid - Governors to seek cuts to Medicaid rolls at
House committee hearing*

The House Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI),
will hold a hearing on Tuesday, March 1. The hearing will focus on Medicaid
and is entitled “*The Consequences of Obamacare: Impact on Medicaid and
State Health Care Reform.”* Governors Haley Barbour (R-MS), Gary Herbert
(R-UT), and Deval Patrick (D-MA) are expected to ask for more opportunities
to cut Medicaid enrollment in their state programs. The Affordable Care Act
contained a maintenance of effort requirement on states to keep them from
imposing stricter eligibility requirements leading up to the 2014 expansion
of Medicaid and implementation of the health insurance
exchanges<http://capwiz.com/thearc/utr/1/IBTXOWWTDD/FPYTOXOMWU/6548753856>.
Several Republican governors are openly calling on the federal government to
provide them with loosely structured block grants for Medicaid.

*Employment - Senate hearing on employment for people with intellectual
disabilities scheduled for this week*

On Wednesday, March 2, the full Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
(HELP) Committee will hold a hearing, entitled, “Improving Employment
Opportunities for People with Intellectual Disabilities.” Lynnae Ruttledge,
Commissioner of the Rehabilitative Services Administration, and Sharon
Lewis, Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities
(ADD), are scheduled to testify. For more information, see:
http://help.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/?id=536891af-5056-9502-5d9c-9a3e588e3214<http://capwiz.com/thearc/utr/1/IBTXOWWTDD/FRWUOXOMWV/6548753856>



------------

Please note that you can view previous issues of the *Capitol
Insider<http://www.ucp.org/ucp_generalsub.cfm/1/8/11981>
*, at thearc.org anytime by choosing "Capitol Insider" under "Public
Policy."

  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at:
mailto:[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>

Sincerely,

Annie Acosta
Director of Communications and Grassroots Advocacy
Disability Policy Collaboration

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-- 


Kendall

An unreasonable man (but my wife says that's redundant!)

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress
depends on the unreasonable man.

-George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950

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